And if you haven't gotten the knack of losing money, start a group. Then you can divide the pay four ways (or five or six.)

None of this is stated as a complaint, though. I love being in a group, and in terms of straight enjoyment and musical and spiritual reward, it pays four times as much. Now, when I perform on my own, I really miss having the guys in my group with me.

Just to put some perspective on all of this, I never set out to make it "Big" in the music world. And man, did I succeed! I had no desire to be a full-time musician, and realized early on that I didn't have the talent to make it "Big." From the beginning, I was just happy to have a chance to entertain people. I've never lost that, and that's enough "payment" for me. I actually like the "pay."
I don't think anyone is averse to getting paid well (so scotch the image of folk musicians being too pure to make good money.) It's just not necessary for those of us who consider music an avocation.

In recent years, most of the places where I play music are senior centers, nursing homes and churches. Occasionally, I get paid what I'd call an honorarium. Gas money and a Big Mac. Rarely, my quartet will get a good paying job... got paid $600 to do a half hour program on spirituals at a private school a couple of years ago, and we often get paid at churches when they take up a "love" collection. But even then, the pay is modest, and split four ways isn't much.

The whole point is, there are other ways to make money. I had a wonderful job that payed well, so I could afford to play just for the pleasure of sharing the music. I know that most of the people in the Cat are the same.

A few years ago, I made an off-hand comment to someone and it got passed around for awhile.

"In folk music, there is no such thing as a career move."

Jerry